On 24 June 2025 the Interreg Aurora funded project MASSIW had the great opportunity to participate in the partnership fair at the congress of the Central Union of Swedish-speaking Farmers and Forest Owners in Finland (SLC).
SLC is an agricultural interest organizations representing farmers in Finland. Every third year SLC arranges a congress for its members and representatives from the local branches. During the event current rural policies, among other things, are discussed in both formal and informal settings. The number of congress attendants was somewhere around 300 persons.
At the partnership fair organizations, that are targeting farmers and forest owners, get the opportunity to promote their activities and meet the target group. MASSIW representatives from Åbo University and the ELY-center (Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment) attended the event and had many interesting discussions with the participants. The takeaway from the event is that farmers are quite aware of the environmental challenges caused by acidic sulfate soils and the need to treat them in adapted ways.
Ensi Ghorbanzadeh a doctoral student from Åbo University had the opportunity to find potential participants for interviews that will be conducted by the university. She says that it was pleasing to find that there are active stakeholders that are interested in the management of acidic sulfate soils.
We are very grateful that we got to attend the event, and for the warm welcome by the organizers, says Anna Bonde from the ELY-centre. Heli Kentala, also from the ELY-centre, concludes that people were really interested in the issue and that the attitude towards the project was positive.
Anna Bonde, Ensi Ghorbanzadeh, Heli Kentala and Heidi Smart represented MASSIW at the SCL congress´ partnership fair
Read more about the project MASSIW – Developing acid sulfate soil management for improved water status on this web page
